


Trusting in Each Other

by Trans_Trash



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Character Development, Depression, Dysphoria, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gay Panic, M/M, OCs - Freeform, Original Characters - Freeform, Panic Attacks, Pansexual panic, Past Child Abuse, Slow Burn, Trans, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Trust, Underage Drinking, cope, im not gonna tag everyone, only the important ppl, please be respectful, real slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:21:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21885166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trans_Trash/pseuds/Trans_Trash
Summary: Two brothers take over the farm. One's blind, the other terribly unsocial, and then there's the dog. She did nothing. She's innocent.Story of how two hopeless, broken boys learn acceptance, love, and trust.
Relationships: Alex/Male Player (Stardew Valley), Sebastian/Male Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 41





	1. Folklore and Olives

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that this is my first time writing a proper book. Also my first time writing canon characters, so I apologize if anyone is a bit out of character. I made Sebastian talk a bit more than I wanted, but I'm a bit fine with it. 2,226 words I believe :'D
> 
> This is going to be a slow burn. An actual slow burn. Instant romance and I don't agree with each other

Lore Ambrose was tired, maybe even exhausted.

It was a good tired, though, he decided, letting himself stretch out in one of two twin sized mattresses. When the two brothers arrived, Robin was kind enough to give them new mattresses. A soft one for Lore, and a firm one for Oliver. She also replaced the bed frames, wanting to make sure they slept well enough. His tired was good. Not the mental exhaustion he felt everyday at Joja. He was tired. He wanted to sleep and sleep and sleep.

He replayed what had happened two days before as he waited for his brother to return, not being able to help the small grin that played on his lips.

He quit.

He… _quit_!

This was pure… bliss.

Finally, he wasn't associated with that… _job_! Two days ago, on Tuesday, he and his brother Oliver, decided to open the letter their grandfather had given them before he died. It was something apart of the will, but they were told to open it when they needed a change. Tuesday was that day. The letter was simple. As the two read that letter, though, they were hesitant about making such a change. As Lore had said that day, “the barista down the street knows my exact order, the gardeners up the hill gives me flowers and all of that will change if we decide to go for this.”

And yet here he was, laying down on one of two twin mattresses, staring up at the ceiling, round-framed glasses beside him. He could feel and hear his dog, a husky named Dakota, resting next to him, staring at him as if she wanted something.

He recalled that day of his job at Joja. How the young lady sitting behind him was called to the office by Morris.

Only two things happened when someone was called there. They were either getting promoted or fired.

No one ever got promoted.

Later that day, about seven hours into his twelve-hour shift, he took his ten-minute break and walked outside, he pulled out that letter. Oliver had read it to him before he left.

He and Oliver were receiving the old man’s farm, which confused the two. Since when did their grandfather own a farm? How did he take care of it, before he, you know… died? He didn't remember a farm. But then again he doesn't remember a lot of things from when he was younger. But the thing that confused him the most was that they were receiving the farm. Why them? They weren't even his own blood- they were adopted. Why pick _them_ instead of his cousins? Oliver wanted to go, he knew that. He told him to make a decision within the day, and Lore was close to accepting the deed. Joja Corporation was one of the only jobs that would accept a blind man as a worker, but he only answered calls and redirected the customers to the appropriate company branch. He didn’t need sight for the job. They even got some braille sheets for him, in exchange that he works more hours. And even though this came to play a big part in his decision, he reminded himself of the horrible hours he had to work, just to be denied a promotion like everyone else who worked alongside him.

So when his break was over and Morris told him to go back to work, Lore did what he had to.

“No.”

Morris laughed at this, between chuckles he spoke with a cold hard tone, “excuse me? Laurence Ambrose, you can’t just say ‘no’.”

His tone made Lore increasingly nervous, though he forced his voice to stay smooth. He looked over to where he thought Morris was standing, expression clearly determined. “You heard me, **_no_ **. I quit.”

Morris stumbled over words, but eventually managed a “why?”. Lore just shrugged, not seeing a need to explain himself. He pocketed the letter, walking back to his cubicle. He used his white cane, swishing it left and right to find his way.

  
Lore sat up, eyes shifting to the door of the cabin as he heard it creak open. He placed on his non-prescription glasses, giving Dakota a few scratches behind her ears. “Did you get the tools?” the brunette had asked, his brother now sat beside him. “Mhm. Pierre was quite understanding, got ‘em discounted.”

Lore fiddled with the soft cloth of his baggy turtleneck, before deciding to play with the metal hoop that connected his overalls to the straps, slouching against his brother with a sigh. “Let’s do this, then. Hope I don’t end up stabbing myself with a hoe.”

Oliver giggled, rolling his eyes as he patted the top of his younger brother’s head. “At least there’s a doctor in this town if that comes to be.”

Lore scoffed, shooing away the others hand and standing up, Dakota instinctively jumping off the bed to stand beside the blind man. "I'll introduce you to Pierre after, if you'd like. I think it will do you good to be acquainted with the townsfolk."

Lore inwardly groaned, grabbing his walking cane and making his way to the door. "Says you, Mr. I-hate-everyone-that-speaks."

As the two left the small cabin, Oliver looked over the overgrown farm. Weeds, flowers, and debris could be seen in the fields. This would take a lot of work, but right now, they just had to focus on planting the parsnips. Dakota, though, seemed to take the overgrowth as a positive thing. She barked, paws prodding at the soil beneath her as she had the sudden urge to roll around and play.

"Alright alright. No need to worry about me, Ko. Go have fun." Lore told the husky, and this was all the clarification she needed before bounding off to a patch of grass.

"Alright. To work we go, brother."

Lore rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless. The two sat down on their knees at a spot of bare soil, Oliver handing him a small hoe. "Tell me if I'm doing this right, I don't think I can keep my hand in a straight line."

Lore always had shaky hands. Maybe it was because he was always nervous, despite his outward appearance, or perhaps something else. His pale hand gripped onto the handle, lowering it to the soil and dragging it towards him a bit. "And now put the seeds in. I'll go fill the watering can." He handed the blind man the parsnips, leaving the spot to walk over to the pond at one corner of the farm.

Lore, meanwhile, felt around the soil for the tilled line, dropping the parsnip seeds onto his hand and planting them one by one, Oliver returning shortly after. He covered up the seeds, getting up as his brother watered them.

"That wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be." He commented, picking his cane off the soil. Oliver scoffed, making a joke about something that Laurence wasn't really listening to.

"Off to Pierre's, then?"

"Mhm."

"Dakota!" Lore whistled, the husky's ears pricking up from behind tufts of grass, hopping up and trotting over to the blind man.

"Stay out here for a moment." Oliver said, glancing to the side at his younger brother. Lore silently nodded, head tilting to the side in curiosity as the other disappeared into the store.

He stood there for a few minutes with Dakota, before the sound of a soft, smooth tune played into his ears. Without thinking, he began to follow the sound, reaching what seemed to be a staircase leading up to the mountains, based on what he could feel with his white cane. Grabbing onto the two straps on his dogs vest, Dakota slowly helped him up the staircase, the music only growing louder.

It was nice, Lore thought, finding himself with a slight smile. Soon enough, he was standing near someone playing a flute. It was easily identifiable as a flute, now that he could hear it better.

"You play well." Lore commented, leaning back against a tree. He could hear lapping water to the right of him. It wasn't rushing, so they were either by a pond, or a lake.

He could tell the person in front of him was startled by the small gasp that sounded from them. "Cripes on a stick, dude. Don't just sneak up on someone!"

Lore blinked, shifting his eyes from one spot to where he heard the voice. He had been staring at the wrong spot before. "I… didn't? I came up from in front, not behind." He said to them- _her_. Dakota layed down at his heel.

Lore rose a brow as he heard an amused snort coming from the left of him. There were two people there.

"Oh be quiet, Seb." The girl said, before looking at the farmer. "You're one of the new farmers, right?" he nodded, "I'm Abigail. The one that's reading over there is Sebastian."

"I'm Lore. This is Dakota, she's my guide dog."

"You have a dog?" Sebastian spoke up, voice loud, sounding excited, like he just noticed the adorable Siberian Husky with misscoloured eyes look at him. He noticed this, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I mean, uh, cute dog." Abigail casted him a strange glance, for which he just shrugged.

He chuckled. "She is? Wouldn't be surprised with how much my brother spoils her."

It was his turn, however, to get a strange look. He could feel the two pairs of eyes on him, causing him to shift around nervously in his spot. Dakota's ears perked, muzzle turning up as she peered at her owner.

"I'm sorry, could you clarify?" Abigail asked in confusion, but Lore was equally as confused.

"I'm… blind. Blind. You know, as in physically incapable of visual capabilities?" He used his hands to gesture at himself. "I told you that Dakota is my _guide_ dog? Thought it'd be obvious."

"...oh." he only heard Abigail say, but he just nodded. Perhaps Sebastian just went back to reading.

"Yep. Anyways, I need help. I don't know my way back to Pierre's. I am completely and utterly lost."

Meanwhile, back at Pierre's, Oliver opened the door, holding a bag of something. Behind him, a peek of light brown hair could be seen. "So I got-"

He froze, heart skipping a beat as he looked around. "Laurence?" Where did his brother go? Dakota wasn't there, so at least she was with him. He felt panic begin to siege through him as he stepped away from the shop, desperate to find where Lore had disappeared to.

"Dusty! Don't y..."

He couldn't hear the rest.

Oliver felt a number of emotions, panic, confusion, but most of all, pain.

He fell backwards onto the cobblestone ground, vision going black. He felt a great weight on top of him, and incoherent words being exchanged and called. Soon, his vision cleared, to see Pierre and some boy- dark brown hair, and worried, almost _guilty_ brown eyes.

"Dusty- Dusty get off him!" The boy instructed, pulling back on what Oliver could only assume was a leash. As that happened, the weight was relieved from him, allowing the boy to sit up properly. He rubbed his head, eyes looking around. Despite the pain he felt in his head; he was focused on a certain thing.

"Has anyone seen my brother? H… he wasn't outside like he was when I left him, and-" Oliver stumbled over words, he looked at the brown haired boy who had been looking at him in clear confusion- only for realization to dawn over him. Dusty, a great Dane, was staring at him with a tilted head, curious of the new comer. "You're one of the new farmers? Calm down; you just got knocked over, take a second."

Oliver grumbled something, finding himself huff in irritation. "Calm down? Excuse-" he took a deep breath, and another, before shooting the other boy a glare. He just realized Pierre had disappeared. 

"I'm Alex. This is Dusty. I'm sorry about that, he was excited when he saw you. He didn't mean any harm." The boy- _Alex_ , smiled at him, but Oliver only rolled his eyes.

"Oliver."

"Oliver…-" Alex seemed like he was processing the name, "cool. I'll see you around, yeah?" 

The freckle-face slowly stood up, dusting himself off. "Of course. Not like I'll be leaving the farm for my brother to care for. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find him." He quickly walked off, muttering in annoyance of all the people. he spotted a familiar looking husky, leading his brother and two other strangers- one with jet-black hair, and a girl with dark amethyst hair.

Suddenly another person, with light hair cut off at her chin, whipped him around. She was taller than him. Of course she was taller than him. Everyone was taller than him at this point. "Are you okay? Bleeding anywhere? What hurts-"

Yoba, there were so many _things_ happening!

"What? I'm fine- please don't touch me."

He assumed this girl was the town's doctor- or assistant. Maybe Pierre went to go get her. She didn't let go of his shoulders, so he slapped her hand away and just turned around, the group now in front of him. "Lore- oh thank goodness. You scared me-" as he went to hug his younger brother, he rose a brow at the two people that accompanied him.

"Abigail, Sebastian, this is my brother Oliver."


	2. Two Birds of a Feather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lore gets a call from his dad. Later that night Oliver plays pool with the trio and Lore gets drunk with Shane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah! Thank you guys so much for the support from the last chapter! I was hoping to get this out sooner, but procrastination is a bitch. Merry Late Christmas! Hope everyone had a lovely holiday, to those who celebrate it :)
> 
> A bit longer than the last chapter, a whopping 4,088 words, I believe. Warning: underage drinking.
> 
> The title is from the songs "Two Birds".

That night Oliver and Lore returned home. Abby was kind, a bit loud and strange, but kind nonetheless. Sebastian however… he was just flat out sarcastic. Oli was sure that if you would… hypothetically… cut him open it'd just be the dark horror of sarcasm that dripped onto the shiny blade rather than the usual red blood.

When he told this to his brother, Lore just laughed and said he wasn't any better. The freckle-face knew this to be true, but to hear it by his own brother? Complete betrayal.

His brother was fast asleep on the mattress next to his, a medium-sized wooden bedside table in between. He wasn't sure how his brother could sleep. He tugged aggressively at his curled red-brown locks, knees pulled up against his chest. The valley was so different than he had wanted. Such a big change made over the course of one day. Would their parents be proud? He didn't want to think about that. The only way to make them proud was to succeed. And the two could still just up and leave the farm there to rot- just like that. They had a choice. But he felt bad about that. All the work his grandpa put into this farm- they couldn't just leave it. Well, he couldn't. He hoped Laurence thought the same, too.

But all the lack of noise- it was so… so noisy. Did that even make sense? It made sense to him. He was so used to the raccoons being trashy in their trash and the sound of cars and the constant blaring of music coming from next door. The newly found silence was making him… frightened? Uncomfortable? Whatever it was that the man was feeling, he couldn't sleep, and he wanted it to stop.

So, Oliver got up from his firm mattress, glancing back at Lore and the husky that was curled against him. He smiled a bit before making his way to the door. Making sure to keep quiet, the farmer creaked it open and slipped out. The sight of the stars made him feel multiple things. Happy, relaxed, and even nostalgia. He placed his hands in his hoodie, now starting to wander off. He heard from the locals that there was a beach, when he asked where he learned that it was South of Pierre's shop. As he followed the cobblestone path, he found his muscles relaxing from the tense state they were a few minutes before, head tilting up at the starry sky. In the city, stars weren't visible for miles. But here in the valley, it was… beautiful. Oliver didn't remember the last time he and his brother went stargazing.

Ah, there it was. He looked down at the sand, before continuing to move forward and sat down next to the water. Leaning back on his hands, he let his eyes close, breathing in the smell of salty air.

Minutes passed of just utter peace before he heard footsteps coming towards him. He opened his left brown eye, now seeing a man with long pale ginger hair. Maybe it was light brown? He couldn't tell with the lack of lighting.

"Hello there," he said. Oliver pulled his knees to his chest, head-turning to face him, hair dusting over his left eye, leaving just the blue one to stare back at him. 

"hi." Oliver replied awkwardly, now silently wishing that his brother was here to carry the conversation.

"hello." the man said back, a bit cheerfully- though still laid back. He had a small grin. What a dork.

"hi."

"hello."

"hi." Oliver couldn't help but feel amused.

"I'm Elliot." He continued the conversation. At least this was getting somewhere. Elliot was looking at him with curiosity, trying to get a name out of the farmer.

"... Oliver. I'm Oliver."

Elliot seemed to only grow a bigger smile, perhaps it was a grin. He wasn't very good at reading people. "Ah, one of the-"

"Yes, one of the new farmers." He interrupted, turning back to look at the sea. He didn't know if Elliot was offended or something for his abrupt cut in, but he didn't care. He didn't take over the farm to make friends. He took over the farm to keep it running- to get away from the city.

But Elliot just continued the conversation, not holding any hint of irritation in his voice. "It is comforting to know I'm not the only new individual in this town. See, I just moved into the little cabin over-" the ginger turned and pointed, Oliver side glancing over there with mild interest. "-there." he ended, turning back.

"I guess so."

"Do you come here often?" Asked Elliot, still as lighthearted as before.

"Well, no. I just moved in." Replied Oliver in a bitter tone. The other man just didn't seem phased. Normally his attitude would be enough to symbolize that he just wanted to be left alone.

But, then again, just talking to someone that wasn't his brother, under the stars, by the sea… it was nice. Not that he'd ever admit it.

Elliot just chuckled, looking down as his finger dawdled in the sand.

The two fell silent, and they sat there for what seemed like a few minutes before El had a new question. "Did you find it difficult to sleep?"

"What does it look like?" Oliver retorted hastily, arms moving to wrap around the bottom of his torso. He glared at the sand but came up with a response. This man talked weird. " 'm not used to the silence of the valley, I guess."

"It gets like that. You'll get used to it, though. Maybe even appreciate it someday. I came from Zuzu City as well."

"You… did? Why'd you leave?" Oli questioned, side glancing at the long-haired ginger.

"I'm a writer. I'm currently working on a novel, but the fast pace of the city just wasn't working for me, you know?"

"Writing? That's… nice. I've dabbled in illustration a bit, I guess." That was an understatement. Oliver loved to draw. He has a box full of his old sketchbooks in the corner of his and Lore's cabin.

"Oh? I guess we both like the practice of fine arts. Why'd you leave?"

"... Guess we both needed a change of scenery, huh?" Oliver replied, lips flattening to a thin line. He didn't want to talk about this.

The two kept talking, it was mostly Elliot, though. This continued for a while before Oli decided it was about time for him to head home.

He was able to sleep that night.

Lore was up early, making his way to the boxes in the corner. The two had yet to unpack their clothes; he remembered his shirts and hoodies were on the top of one pile, and his pants underneath said box. He lifted up the top one, setting it down and opening it. He let his hands do the seeing, feeling around on the textures to define what was his jacket's and what were shirts. Normally he let his brother pick what he wore, but after the Christmas… fiasco, that wasn't happening. Any time soon.

Hoping the clothing articles he pulled out; a jacket, shirt, and shorts, weren't some bizarre colours, he began to change, leaning against the wall for support.

After he somehow managed to get his clothes on, he looked back at his brother, who was starting to stir. Lore thought he must've been up late. Usually, Oliver would rise first.

So, he walked over to one's bed, pulled the covers off in one quick motion, and slapped him with a pillow.

"Wha- ugh! Ah- Lore- stop-" Oliver kept rolling around, causing the other brunette to fall onto the mattress, just laughing.

"Revenge!" Lore said loudly, grinning ear to ear. He was very proud of himself.

"It's too early- revenge for what?"

"You waking me up like this when I was ten."

Oliver stared at his brother, practically bewildered as he sputtered a response, "But- But- that was eight years ago, asshole!"

"Revenge is revenge, big brother."

"Whatever- just-" the freckle-faced farmer stared at his brother, giggling but trying his best to silence it. "What… are you wearing?"

Lore's face flushed red, getting up from the bed and looking down at himself. "Clothes? What's wrong?"

"Well, for one thing, you look utterly ridiculous."

"Wow, thanks for that."

"Your shorts are bright pink, bud."

"...what?" Lore quickly glanced away, grumbling something. God this was embarrassing.

"Your shirt is fucking yellow. Bright yellow. And then there's the jacket. Its-"

"No! Nope. Spare me the details, please. Just find me some clothes. And I swear to Yoba if it's anything like the Christmas fiasco, I'm waking you up with ice-cold water for the next three months."

Oliver blinked, giggling once more before getting off his bed, now off to find some clothes for him and his brother. Meanwhile, Lore just fell face-first into his own mattress, groaning, face flushed pink.

As Oliver left his brother to get dressed, the farmer left the small cabin to begin clearing out weeds, mildly annoyed as dirt fell on his black turtleneck. He brushed it off, continuing. As time passed, the weeds piled up, and Oliver wondered why his brother wasn't out yet. He got up, wiping his hands off on his skinny jeans, leaving the pile of weeds to walk up the wooden steps, and back into the cabin.

His brother was sitting on his bed, glasses beside him, hand running through his hair. When he heard the door creak, he turned to the sound, a confused- maybe almost upset expression on his face. "O-oh. Hi. Sorry, I'll be out in a moment to help. I just got a bit… distracted…" Lore's voice faltered as Oli made his way to sit beside him, arms curled around his torso.

"Something's bothering you," Oliver stated. Lore wanted to say "no shit", but that would be rude and Lore didn't want to be rude.

"N-no. No there isn't."

"I grew up with you, dumbass. I think I'd know when you're upset." Oliver shot back, an arm wrapping around the others shoulder. Lore flinched but quickly relaxed.

"I'm s.. sorry. You have your own problems, you shouldn't have to listen to mine."

Oliver was quite taken aback, Lore could tell, causing him to look away.

"What's wrong?"

"I was just… wondering. What are we going to do with mum and father? They want us to take over their company, but I'm sure you want to stay here."

Oliver sighed, patting the side of his brother’s arm. His brother’s hand was shaking. "What about you? Do you want to stay?"

"It doesn't matter," Lore said, adding on in a sad whisper, "they already see me as a burden."

Oliver's heart practically broke. He sighed, softly kissing his brother’s head. "So, what's the sudden concern for?"

"... what?"

"Why are you bringing this up now?" He didn't want to sound rude, especially to his brother, but Lore was so happy and excited before he left outside. Something must’ve happened during this time.

Lore didn’t seem too fond of answering, as he was pondering the question. A pale hand ran its way through his hair, he gives off a nervous chuckle, eyes glancing away. “Father called me.”

“He… called you.”

“Yes.”

“And you answered?”

“Well, to be fair, how was I supposed to know it was him? I can’t read the damn contact name.”

Oliver sighed but nodded nonetheless. “Continue.”

Lore proceeded to chuckle nervously, rubbing his shaking hands together. Laughing was his cope. “He’s coming.”

“Here? To Pelican Town? Why?”  
  
“He said it’s to help Morris with JojaMart.”

“Wait! There’s a JojaMart here? _Morris_ is here? He followed you- what a fucking creep.” Oliver was angry, maybe disappointed, perhaps both. “Bastards managed to get to this small town, too.”

“He’s going to run for mayor.” Lore replied quietly, eyes closing as he released a wavering breath. His brother yanked his arm back, immediately standing up, beginning to pace around.

“Shit! Fuck no. He can’t come here! He’ll make everything horrible! _Unbearable_! He’s doing on this purpose, isn’t he?” Lore got up, stumbling to find his pacing brother. “He’s doing this so we'll go to the city! That bastard.” Lore finally managed to stop the freckled farmer, placing a hand on his shoulder. Oliver jerked back, about to slap the hand away, but realized it was just his brother touching him. But that didn’t stop him from growling, “Don’t. Touch. Me.”

Lore’s eyes widened a bit, immediately retracting his hand, chuckling nervously. “Look, it’ll be all right. The townspeople aren’t going to replace Louis. He’s been mayor since forever, he’s done a lot of good for everyone, why would they have a reason to betray his trust? Nothing’s going to happen.”

“Right… yeah.”

Lore sighed, smiling calmly. “Now, how about we go finish what you started,” he gestured out the window, “okay?”

“Yeah. Yes- okay.” Oliver repeated.

As the two finished up clearing out a small circle, Oliver wasn’t as dirty as he thought he’d be at the end. Lore, however, had to change his outfit. Oliver got him a dark grey sweater (In Spring? Really?), and black shorts. Then they proceeded to meet everyone in town. They made some progress- managed to introduce themselves to Sam, Penny, Maru, and Pam, before the sun began to set. Oli heard something about a “Stardrop Saloon” or some shit from Pam. He really could use a night to slack off- after all, it was Friday. He was sure Lore did too.

So they entered the saloon, getting greeted by a man named Gus. He introduced himself and also told them what was in the building. The bar was in this medium-sized room, tables paired with chairs. The room to the right of them had a pool table and some arcade games. Lore seemed to brighten up at the word “arcade”, quickly rushing off to the room to the right. Oliver excused himself, following his brother with a look of amusement, eyes shifting around. There were a few people there. Most he didn't know. But there was a man, definitely older, staring down at the table, a glass gripped tightly between one hand. His eyes revealed a lot, yet so little. Oliver rose a brow, but was quickly pulled into the room by his brother. Lore stumbled as he pulled him, though Oli somehow stayed in perfect posture. As Lore stood up properly, he cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. He felt two pairs of eyes on him- although he was certain there were three other people in the room other than he and his older brother. "Er- hello."

Oliver looked at the three playing at the pool table. Sam; who they met earlier, with spiky blond hair and an annoyingly bright expression. He nicknamed him Goku no. 2. Abigail, or Abby, who took on the nickname Anime Girl, and then Sebastian, or, Bitterness Ahoy.

Sam just rushed to Oliver's side, much to his dismay. He looked over at the blond with a confused expression. "What?"

"Please join in the game! I cannot stand watching Sebastian fuck us over again!" the blue-eyed man whined. Oliver blinked, turning his gaze over to Bitterness Ahoy, who just shrugged, now beginning to set up the game again. Oliver was slightly annoyed. He hadn't even said yes. He was _going to_. It was just so god damn irritating to him that Bitterness Ahoy just assumed he'd say yes.

"... _again_?" He repeated, hiding the amusement in his tone. He looked to Abigail.

"Man, you almost look as emo as Seb."

"Almost?" Sebastian questioned in the usual monotone, not even looking at Abby, instead just focusing on making sure everything was in place.

"Well, you have the complete look. Black hair, black clothes, attitude. But Oliver here only has the clothes and attitude."

Lore ignored their bickering, kinda feeling bad as he failed to be acknowledged. He missed Dakota; he decided to give her a break today, instead taking the white walking stick. He made his way, eventually finding himself in front of an arcade machine. It was old. Very old, he could tell by the chipped paint his fingers traced. He wished he could play these games again. But he couldn't. The man frowned, before letting out a squeak as he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Would you like to join us?" He recognized the voice as Sam. He shook his head, canine digging into his bottom lip. "Ah. Thanks for the invite, but I don't know how to play. Besides, my lack of sight kind of makes things… complicated."

Sam nodded, walking back to his spot, Sebastian sending him a sympathetic look, though Lore didn't know. He sat down on a chair, listening to his brother and the others- mostly Sam and Abigail- joke around and talk. His lips formed a thin line. He felt so… ignored. So alone. His brother didn't acknowledge him, even as he got up and told him that he was going to get a drink.

Lore sighed, leaning against the counter. "What's the strongest you have?"

"The strongest I have is-"

"I'll take it." Lore interrupted, not caring on what drink it was. He set down the appropriate amount of gold, grabbing the shot the bartender passed to him. He quickly sat down at a table, not knowing if there was anyone there. But, he was quick to find out, as he felt a pair of eyes glaring straight at him.

"The fuck? I don't know you. Go away."

Lore, despite the man's hostility, just rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his drink. He didn't know what type this was. First time drinking. In Zuzu City, you'd be required to show your ID, he was just lucky Gus was an idiot and didn't know he was eighteen.

"Laurence. Or Lore. There, now we know each other. Want to bitch about our personal lives and mistakes we made that we utterly regret? Until we pass out from either anger or exhaustion?"

The man rose a brow, it took a moment, but his frown turned into a small grin, eyes softening the slightest bit. "Shane. I'm Shane."

Oliver hadn't even noticed his brothers absence, as Abigail was talking about some shit that was happening in town. "Fucking JojaCorp managed to cause a rockslide that has blocked the way to the mines." She said in her usual loud tone, positioning the pool cue and pushing it forward, managing to get two balls to fall into little pockets. She passed the cue to Sam.

"Yoba, Abby, I'm sure the new guy doesn't want to here about the mines. That shit nasty." Sam said, gleefully grabbing the cue.

"And why is it nasty, blondie?" Sebastian said, leaning back against the wall.

"We all know that's where Abigail would fuck-"

Abby's eyes widen slightly, rushing to cover his mouth. "Shut up! No! Ew! Be quiet, you hooligan!"

"Oh, I'm the hooligan now?" Sam managed to say, voice muffled form the shorter girls hand.

Abigail's face was flushed red. From either anger or embarrassment. Oliver just crossed his arms, finding himself deeply amused by this. They seem close. Abby retracted her hand after Sam licked it, the heathen. 

"But seriously, weird topic for a game of pool," Sam commented, watching as the amethyst haired girl wiped her hand desperately on her shirt in disgust. "Oh, shut up. Not like you're any better, fucking _licking_ my hand, you _demon_."

Oliver shuffled his way to Sebastian, arms crossed as Abigail and Sam bickered back and forth, though there was no trace of anger in their voices. "They always do this?" He asked, leaning back against the wall next to the male.

Sebastian glanced at him, but looked back at the pair. "Usually Sam. He just likes to do this to distract us from the game. He doesn't like losing very much." The raven haired man said, eyebrows furrowed.

"Ah," he giggled, twirling a curled red-brown lock of hair with his finger. "Do we just… let this happen?"

Sebastian shrugged, taking the pool cue from the table and extending it out to Abigail, poking the mid part of her back with the tip of the stick. "Stop it, you dingus."

"Oh, _now_ you want to talk about dicks?" Abigail replied lightheartedly, turning around.

"What? No." Seb said, voice defensive.

"Speaking of dicks, where's your brother?" Sam piped in.

"My brother isn't a dick. Why is my brother a dick?"

"He left without saying anything. Therefore he's a dick." Said Abigail.

"Will you guys stop talking about dicks? Please? For my sanity?" Sebastian said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Yoda, no need to be a dick about dicks, you dick." Sam chirped, arms crossing. His expression was nothing short of gleeful.

Sebastian ran his hands down his face, letting out a groan.

"Wait- where IS my brother?" Oliver said, sudden realization dawning on him. "Oh shit. How did I lose him?" He felt horrible. Was he really paying so little attention to him that he didn't notice him gone?

And then a very drunk Laurence walts in, dragging along another guy, who looked wasted- not as much as his brother, but still wasted. Oliver's eyes widen. He's… drunk. his _eighteen_ year old brother was completely _drunk_. Holy shit. That was bad. That was real bad.

"Oh my lord! Lore, what the fuck? You aren't supposed to drink! And who is this?" Oliver said, quickly rushing to his brother. Instead, Lore pushed his brother away, "get the fuuuuoock away from me, you baostarrrd. I'm going to play games with Shane." He drawled out, Shane ignoring the others there and leading his new friend to the arcade game "Journey of the Prairie King".

Oliver regained his stance, expression completely mortified- but also disappointed. Maybe it was with himself. Or perhaps with Lore. Most likely both. He _let_ Lore leave and drink whatever the fuck he drank. But, Lore allowed himself to make this horrid decision.

He wanted to take his younger brother home, but decided against it. Lore chose this. He could figure this out himself. He turned to Sam, Abigail and Sebastian with a sigh. "I'm gonna head home. It was… good. Playing with you guys, I mean."

He turned and left. As he exited the saloon, the fresh air made him relax, though he couldn't stop worrying about him. But, _no_. Lore would figure out how to get home himself, no matter how drunk.

Sebastian, Sam, and Abigail decided to end their night short, leaving Shane and Lore to try beating Journey of the Prairie King completely wasted.

"Which button does what?" Asked Lore, who was unaware of anything that was happening. Shane grabbed the man's hand, directing to each individual button, explaining what does what. "I'll move it, you fire. I'll tell you which direction."

Laurence nodded, extremely excited as he heard the game start up. As they got deeper into the game, most of their lives were gone, but Shane managed to pick up an extra life from a kill. They were practically yelling at each other, "left! No, Right! Damnit!", until they reached the next checkpoint. This time, Lore three his arms up in the air, yelling "FREEDOM!!", Shane's voice following soon after- but was cut short by a girls voice.

"Shane! Do you know what time it is? You told Marney that you'd be back by 11 o' clock, remember? And who's your friend? He looks terrible!"

"Wow, thanks," Lore grumbled bitterly. That was the second time he was insulted with those words.

Shane rose a brow, eyes shifting his watch. "Ohhhhh." He drew out, looking back at the blue haired lady. "Shit."

"Yeah, shit! You best get your ass home."

"Right. I will. Get him home, he's more wasted than me." Shane apparently still held some responsibility as he headed out the room, grabbing his coat and exiting the saloon with a quick pace.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" The woman asked, grabbing the man's arm and putting it over her shoulder to help him stand. "I'm Emily. You live on the farm right? Let's get you home."

Lore only managed to nod, getting the urge to vomit. He held it as best he could though, not wanting to puke on the nice lady. "Looooreernbfce."

Emily only nodded, although she couldn't understand what the actual fuck the man was saying. "Alright. Let's get you back, bud."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing the trio! Writing so many characters is proving to be a bit of a challenge, but I'm trying.
> 
> Oliver is 19, Laurence being 18. Lore only got the job at Zuzu because his parents own the company. The beginning of the chapter might not make too much sense, but everything will be revealed in do time.


	3. Dysphoria and Ice Cream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver gets dysphoric, Lore buys ice cream. Dad pays a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! Procastination is a bitch :( also a short chapter of 1,300 words.

"Laurence-"

"Don't call me that." The brunette growled, rubbing his head as he felt a massive headache come on. Oliver had forced him to drink water to help sober up, thanking Emily for bringing him back and was now beginning the inevitable scolding.

" _Lore_ ," he corrected himself, pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "What in Yoba's name were you thinking?"

Lore pulled his knees to his chest, looking off to the side in shame. Also guilt. He already felt horrible enough as it was.

"Honestly, I don't know who I'm more disappointed in. You, or Gus. He gave you alcohol without asking for ID, which was a very poor decision, but you _took_ it, like a dumbass!"

Lore mumbled something, softly petting a very concerned Dakota. "You're the one who ignored me. We both know nothing good happens when I'm unsupervised."

"What do you mean I ignored you? You didn't _say_ shit!"

Lore grew angry at this, canine digging into his bottom lip. He decided not to keep his mouth shut. He always did. He shuffled off his bed, "Excuse me? I told you I was going to get a drink! You were too busy with your new _friends_ -" he makes air quotes with his hands while saying the word, "to notice! So suddenly _I'm_ the irresponsible one?"

Oliver's eyes widen, he opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again after words failed to come.

"I don't need you to look out for me, Oliver! It's not your job! That's Dakota's. Not yours. I'm sorry that I did what I did, but I was so upset. It's… it's hard being like me. I can't watch movies, play video games, join you in pool- I can't do anything like that. I'm not like you. Yes, I'm different, but that doesn't mean I need you to protect me! Your job is to be _there_ for me, unlike mum and dad was."

Oliver sighed, looking at his brother, who was now on the verge of tears. He quickly went over to him, arms wrapping around the younger brunette. As he did this, the tears finally spilled. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have raised my voice at you." Oli muttered, gently patting Lore's back. 

"It's alright, you asshole." He pulled away, chuckling nervously, "best friends always?".

"To the moon and back." Oliver said with a smile, "but you're still grounded."

"You can't _ground_ me-"

"I just did. Now go to your room… bed."

"Yes, mother." Lore drew out, rolling his eyes.

Laurence woke up to the sound of crying. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Oli? You okay?" He asked, yawning.

"W-what?" Oliver replied quietly, sniffling. "Of course I am."

Lore got off the bed, following the sounds of sniffles and choked back sobs. He sat down on his bed next to him. "Hey… what happened?"

"Nothing happened… I'm fine, Lory."

"You only call me Lory when you're upset. Besides, you are clearly crying right there next to me." He commented, expression softening as his cloudy eyes looked at the crying boy. Oliver just stayed quiet for a few minutes. Laurence didn't have a problem with this, he shuffled himself around so he could hug his brother. After a while, he piped up, "you don't have to tell me what happened, but can you at least tell me why you're crying?"

Oliver mumbled something, he sniffled, before answering, "ds."

That was codeword for dysphoria. Back when Oliver was only out to Laurence, they made codewords so they could communicate without their parents knowing.

Laurence frowned, patting his brothers head. "Dad again?" He asked.

"...mmhm."

Lore sighed. "I'll be right back. In the meantime, pick out some disney movies to watch." He got up, grabbing his walking stick and he began to leave the farm.

"I guess father still isn't over Oliver being a guy, huh?" He told himself, rolling his eyes. "Whatever. Who needs him? He has me and his friends. Cut the negativity from your life and keep the positives." He hummed, stopping as the white cane hit something, the smell of cigarette smoke hitting his lungs, he coughed.

"Ow- shit!" Someone said. He heard the person get up.

Laurence blinked, "oh, Yoba! I'm so sorry-" he said quickly, eyes looking around hopelessly.

The person sighed, "it's fine, Lore."

"Ehh… Sebastian?" He guessed, getting a hum of confirmation from him. He backed up a bit so he didn't smell the smoke.

"What're you doing up so early?"

"I haven't slept yet."

"... oh."

"What about you?" Seb asked back, dropping the cigarette and stepping on it, grinding it into the ground.

"Oliver is... he's not feeling well, so I'm gonna go get some ice cream from Pierre's." He explained calmly.

"You sure you know your way?"

"... not really. Dakotas still asleep and I didn't want to wake her." He answered, chuckling nervously, he rubbed his neck.

Sebastian sighed, "I'll show you there, then."

Lore's face brightened, "oh? Thank you, Sebastian! I'd probably get lost without you, heh."

Sebastian didn't reply, just started to walk off.

"huh? ...oh- oh! Ah- wait-" Lore laughed, picking up his cane, he speed walked over, slowing once he was beside him. He set his cane back down.

They walked in silence. A comfortable silence, though. It wasn't awkward or uncomfortable for the both of them.

Sebastian stopped in front of the store. "I can walk you back if you want."

Laurence hummed. "no thanks. I can find my way."

Sebastian didn't reply, just turned to leave.

"Ah- wait."

"... what?"

"Get some sleep, will ya?"

Sebastian sighed. "Whatever." He walked away.

"I'll take that as a yes!" Laurence called after him, grinning to himself. He then went into the store, walking up to the counter.

"Oh, hey, Mr. Farmer." Pierre said giddily.

Laurence smiled, "hey. Do you sell ice cream here?"

"What flavour are you looking for?"

"Ah- vanilla bean would be great."

Pierre nodded, walking over to a cooler behind the counter. He pulled out a box of ice cream, setting it down on the counter. He told him the price, to which Laurence set the gold down. He grabbed the container of ice cream. "Thank you, Pierre." He smiled, turning away.

"Come back soon!"

"Oli, I'm back~" Lore swung open the door in a dramatic way, grinning ear to ear, the box of ice cream between his arms. Oliver laughed.

Lore walked over to the bed- beds. "You pushed them together?"

"Mhm. This way we wouldn't have to squish together."

"Oh, cool. What movie do you wanna watch first?" He asked, grabbing two plastic spoons from the table.

"... Mulan."

"Your favorite. Of course." He laughed slightly, smiling to himself as he came back.

"Shut up…"

"You know, Shang officially made a man out of you-" he bumped his shoulder with his own. Oliver rolled his eyes, letting out an airy laugh. He clicked play on his laptop, shuffling over a bit as Lore played next to him. Lore wasn't always blind. He watched this movie before; he knew what was happening based on the dialogue and music, so he didn't mind the fact he couldn't see it. Soon enough, Dakota woke up, only to curl up between Laurence and Oliver, heading back to sleep.

Oliver woke up before Lore, smiling to himself as he got up. "I guess we fell asleep halfway through Moana." He brushed out his hair, changing into a black and white striped shirt and black shorts. He checked the time. 8:47 AM. "Not too late. If I water the parsnips in half an hour, I should be able to be free by 10. Not bad, I guess." He told himself, making sure to keep his voice down. After 30 minutes of unpacking some of his stuff, he left the small cabin, watering can in his hands. He sat down, beginning to pour some water on the small crops.

Once he finished, he stood up, dusting the dirt off his knees. "Now that's done. Time to wake Laurence up." He turned around, only to stumble a bit as his sight met someone familiar. He narrowed his blue and brown eyes, hand settling on his hip.

"... father." He said flatly, glaring up at the man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to leave it off like that XD

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The ending got a big panicky because I'm still learning how to write multiple characters at once. I'm excited to write Sam and Abigail's shenanigans in all honestly.


End file.
